Lost Futures in Chin State

Readers may recall our conversation last week with Dr. Salai. He was providing an update about the situation in Chin, when he was urgently called away to attend to local matters. We have continued the conversation, and following are the rest of his updates as to the situation in Chin state. We thank all donors for their continued generosity.

When asked about solutions and plans to achieve a sustainable future, Dr. Salai said they are planning to open a clinic in India soon where people from Chin State and elsewhere in Myanmar can receive health care services. Another plan is to collaborate with health professionals and community health workers who fled the country after joining the civil disobedience movement (CDM). They know of a number of refugees who are CDM doctors and nurses from various parts of Myanmar .They are planning to work with them on holding public health awareness training sessions in refugee camps along the border and in India, and having them serve in mobile clinics for the refugees. 

Emergency cases that have to be referred to a nearby hospital in Mizoram State are provided not only with financial support but also help in finding transportation through an established network of local churches, youth organizations, CSOs, the hosting community refugee welcoming committee and other helpful locals. At the moment, emergency patients are sent to the public hospitals of the districts, viz. Saiha, Champhai and Aizawl, in Mizoram State, across the border from Chin State. Thankfully, the locals have been hospitable to the Chin refugees, and local NGOs and CSOs are helping Dr. Salai’s team address the problems faced by the refugees, such as language barriers and transportation to and admission of refugee patients to Indian public hospitals. 

The final topic in our interview with Dr. Salai was about his activities related to the education of refugee children in Mizoram State. He expressed deep concern for the children, whose schools were closed in 2020 when Myanmar found its first COVID-19 case in Chin State. The military coup and subsequent operations against the Chin local defense forces have taken away all the opportunities for education that used to be available to the children of Chin State. Education remains out of reach of the children in the refugee camps in India. Dr. Salai is especially concerned about behavioral problems and the mental health of these children, as some are now in danger of becoming victims of human trafficking and drug abuse. He said that unfortunately there are no signs of them gaining any access to education and if things continue this way there will be no graduates in the future. The children will not be taught the things they need to know about life and may even become dangers to society. 

To the extent they are able, Health and Hope is putting some of its focus on education and so far have helped obtain scholarships for 20 students to attend public schools in India. They worked with local headmasters and government authorities to provide these children with access not only to education but also to sports. As these children are minors, they rented a house near their school and hired someone to look after them who provides them not only with the academic support but also mentoring and pastoral care and supervises their nutrition in school. Dr. Salai emphasized that there are many other children who are losing their futures due to lack of proper access to education. His organization is trying to get more scholarships to public schools for refugee children. With the assistance of local partners in Mizoram, they are working to find more public schools willing to admit the children free of charge. He emphasized there is still much work and planning to provide thousands more children with access to education as soon as possible. There is of course an enormous need for international support in this area as well.